Epiphany Lutheran Church sits on Hill Road North in Pickerington, a Fairfield County suburb east of Columbus, and draws more than four hundred people through its four glass doors each Sunday. The congregation is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and describes itself as intentionally inclusive, listing itself as a Reconciling in Christ community. Its mission, written as "Revealing God Through Revolutionary Relationships," frames everything from the music choices at worship to the Wednesday night PAUSE schedule.
Two Sunday Services That Share One Table
Sunday mornings at Epiphany come in two very different shapes.
At 9:00 a.m. the Traditional PLUS service brings together an energetic hour that mixes historic liturgy with choirs, bell choirs, flute, clarinet, violin, piano and organ. Music is led from the organ or piano by the Director of Music, with adult and youth choirs joining almost every week. Every prayer, song and response is printed in the bulletin so no one has to know the words in advance.
At 11:00 a.m. the Contemporary service trades hymnals for screens and a full live band built around guitars, drums, keyboard and vocalists. Lyrics, images and videos fill the screens so the whole room can sing along, and the music leans into the same kind of songs a listener might hear on Christian radio or streaming playlists. Both services share the same weekly rhythm of communion, and members, visitors, the curious and the convinced are all welcome at the table.
Families with young children will find greeters right inside the four glass doors, ushers handing out bulletins, and a professionally staffed nursery during the 9:00 hour. Children are always welcome in worship, and a check-in area for the Sunday school hour sits just outside the preschool and grade-school classrooms.
Rise & Shine Sunday School at the 9:00 Hour
The Sunday morning education hour is called Rise & Shine, and the name says the goal: combine the light of the church with the love of the home for a greater impact in the lives of kids. Children from age three through high school and adults gather from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. each Sunday for age-appropriate classes.
Preschool and grade-school students start with a large-group experience that includes a video lesson, songs, games and skits, then break into small groups for relational time around the day's theme. Junior high and senior high students meet in the youth room for casual conversation, friendship building, games and faith formation. Check-in stations outside the preschool and grade-school rooms print name tags with helpful details including a parent's cell phone number and any allergies.
For families who cannot make it on Sunday, or who want a preview, Rise & Shine points them to the Sundays at Home YouTube channel, which serves up age-appropriate videos for preschoolers and for first through sixth graders. A weekly family newsletter keeps parents plugged into the lesson and into special events.
PAUSE Wednesdays: A Midweek Reset
Sundays remind the church it is loved; Mondays show what Monday looks like; by Wednesday most people could use a pause. That is the origin story of PAUSE, Epiphany's Wednesday night program, which returns each August and runs through the school year.
The evening opens with a shared meal from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. (adult meals $7, child meals $6, family cap $22). Children age four through first grade can join Little Lights Choir at 5:30 p.m. for singing and instrument play that eventually feeds into Sunday worship. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., three tracks run at once: FUSION for second through sixth graders, Adult Bells for anyone who wants to ring, and Epiphany U, a short-term adult class taught by one of the pastors or a seminary-trained leader. A free, staffed nursery is open the same hour for younger siblings. Adult Choir rehearses from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
FUSION is the headline children's program on Wednesdays. The name comes from the fusing of activities in each weekly gathering: chime ringing, meals, Bible story time, games, crafts and service projects, all designed to grow and show faith. The FUSION fee is folded into the meal price structure; families can pay $6 per week per child, $25 per month or $100 for the rest of the school year.
Confirmation and the Path to 11:00 a.m. on Sunday
Confirmation is Epiphany's main "youth group" for seventh and eighth graders. The structure is built around the way that age group actually works, with moving, asking and exploring rather than sitting still. Students meet twice a month from September through April, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., and connect with adults in the congregation who model faith, all while building friendships that often last well past graduation. The year kicks off in mid-August with an off-site event (the 2026 kickoff includes a trip to Epiphany Lutheran in Dayton for "Messy Games") and ends on Confirmation Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. worship service.
Registration is part of a single Children, Youth and Family form that covers every program a household might touch during the program year, from Sunday school through confirmation.
A Building Full of Music
Music is woven into nearly everything Epiphany does. Adult and youth choirs add their voices almost every week to the 9:00 service. Terry McCandless, Director of Music, leads Adult Bells on Wednesdays and oversees the choirs. Little Lights Choir gives children age three through first grade a first taste of singing in worship. FUSION's chimes group practices on Wednesdays and shares its music in Sunday services. The 11:00 band leads contemporary worship with bass, lead electric, acoustic, drums and keyboard, and visiting vocalists rotate in.
Epiphany Lutheran Preschool: Pickerington's First
Epiphany Lutheran Preschool (ELP) opened in 1977 and was the first preschool in the Pickerington area. It still runs from the same building, with classes for children from age two-and-a-half through pre-kindergarten, and follows the Pickerington Local School District calendar for holidays and days off. Morning classes run 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. (or 12:00 to 12:15 p.m. for older classes), with a relaxed 8:30 to 9:00 drop-off window and a drive-thru pickup at the end of the day.
Class options include Bright Beginnings (Fridays with a caregiver through December, then independently January through May), Little Blessings (Tuesday through Thursday mornings for threes), Little Learners (Monday through Thursday mornings for older threes and younger fours), Adventure Seekers (Monday through Thursday mornings for fours heading to kindergarten next year) and Rising Stars (Monday through Friday mornings for pre-kindergartners). New for 2026, families can add Optional After Preschool Care from 12:00 to 3:15 p.m. to selected classes.
Teachers meet the educational and professional development standards required by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and every staff member is certified in CPR, First Aid, communicable diseases and child abuse recognition and prevention. The program does not use a single set curriculum; instead it uses Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards and the kindergarten readiness expectations set by Pickerington Local School District, with chapel time, library, music, art and science woven into each week. A scholarship fund, supported through a PayPal giving link, helps families who need a hand with tuition.
The Memorial Garden and Columbarium
Just outside the worship space, the Epiphany Memorial Garden gives the congregation a year-round place to pray, grieve, remember and simply sit. A sidewalk leads directly from the parking lot into the garden, so any member, neighbor or visitor can stop in any time.
The garden is open to members and non-members for the scattering of ashes, and engraved bricks and plaques can be added in honor of loved ones. A marble columbarium sits within the garden, offering niches for Epiphany members who want a permanent place close to the church. The garden is one of the ministries that ties baptisms, weddings and funerals into the same landscape: the Bible opens and closes in a garden, and after the resurrection Mary meets Jesus thinking he is the gardener.
An Intentionally Inclusive Community
Epiphany describes itself as an intentionally inclusive congregation and lists itself with Reconciling in Christ. Its welcome statement names, point by point, the people it commits to embrace: people of every race and ethnicity, every age, every sexual orientation, every gender expression and gender identity, every level of physical or mental ability, every socioeconomic class, every household structure and marital status, every educational background and anyone who feels marginalized. People of different faith backgrounds, or no faith background, who are simply curious, are welcome too. "All means all" is the shorthand the church uses, and it is also the language used to describe who may share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, responsibilities, blessings and joys of the congregation.
Mission, Values and What Epiphany Teaches
The church's mission is "Revealing God Through Revolutionary Relationships." Relationships with God, through worship, service, fellowship and Bible study, come first; relationships with other believers then become the channel through which each person is encouraged, inspired, strengthened and challenged to live out faith in practical ways.
The values the congregation names are: a Christ-centered culture with Jesus as the compass for decisions; an intentionally inclusive approach in which all means all; an attitude of abundance that gives time, talent and resources deliberately and gratefully; "traditioned innovation" that embraces change while honoring heritage; and an intersection of God's story with the congregation's own story, in which the Holy Spirit is believed to be active today. The teaching and preaching focus on the words of Jesus. Communion is offered at both Sunday services every week and is open to anyone who wishes to come forward, with the same grace extended to anyone who prefers to stay seated.
Practicalities for First-Time Guests
What to wear is up to the visitor: suits and ties show up at the 9:00 service alongside jeans and dress-casual, while the 11:00 service skews casual. Parking is anywhere in the lot; there are handicap spaces close to every door plus visitor spots near the main entrance, and a ramp and portico allow drop-off right at the doors. The building is single-level, with wide doorways, large handicap-accessible restrooms and easy access into the sanctuary. Greeters and ushers are ready at the glass doors to answer questions, and online visitors can watch services live on the church's Facebook page or YouTube channel, or catch up on past weeks there.
Connect, Give and Stay in Touch
The fastest way to stay current with Epiphany is the twice-weekly email newsletter called Connect, sent on Tuesdays and Fridays. Recent and past bulletins, along with church council minutes and the annual report, are posted under Ministry Documents for anyone who wants to look back at a decision or a service. Giving is available online through a Vanco-powered portal (visitors can give once without creating an account, or sign up to manage recurring gifts by credit card or bank account), and the Vanco Mobile app is available on both Apple and Android stores. A separate PayPal link supports the preschool scholarship fund. Baptisms, weddings and membership all start with a call or email to the church office at 614-837-2826 or epiphany@epiphany-lutheran.com. A New Member Class meets on Saturday mornings; the next session covers Epiphany's mission and answers questions over coffee, with new members welcomed at either Sunday service the following week.